The next day, we had some surprise visitors: Grammy and Grampy. They decided to pop in late in the morning, when I was laying on the couch downstairs like usual. It’s not like I could really go anywhere, so I might as well stay comfy. I wanted to see them with Dad and my siblings, but my god, I was just drained. I didn’t know how I had no energy all the time with how much I was eating. Eating all my meals was supposed to mean I get energy, right??

“Hey sweetie,” Grammy said with a sympathetic smile as she and Grampy came into the room and gave me a hug. Everyone joined me in the living room and sat down. I tried to sit up and not be such a space hog, but almost passed out doing the effort.

“Diane,” Dad said with an edge. “What did we say about taking it easy?”

“I’m just trying to make some space for Jack and Bella,” I defended, pointing to my siblings on the floor. “I don’t want to hog all the space!”

“Sit your ass down,” Jack and Bella said in unison. I guess that settled that.

Everyone started chatting, and I tried to keep up and be active, but my brain was just begging for sleep. I just kept quiet. I felt my mind drift away from the room as the chatter faded into background droning. I felt completely alone with everyone in the room, isolated and cold. When I tried to focus, my mind just got scrambled even more as I faded even more from consciousness. It all came rushing back when I felt someone put their hands on me. Some anchor to reality yanking me out of wonderland in the blink of an eye, and it was too much for me. Before I knew it, I let out a scream and felt an impact.

The next thing I could remember, I was on the floor with everyone gathered around me. I felt like my heart was caught in my throat from the extreme scare. I was heaving, out of breath and trying to figure out what had happened. Why was I on the ground? Why was I so out of breath?

“Diane, you scared the hell out of us!” Dad cried. “What happened?! Grammy touched you and you screamed and fell off the couch, and-”

“D-Did I…?” I mumbled. “S-s-sorry…”

“I’m sorry about that,” Grammy apologized as Dad helped me back onto the couch. “I wouldn’t have woken you up if I knew you’d react like that.”

“I-It’s ok,” I said shakily. “I-I didn’t mean to f-fall asleep on you g-guys.”

“Did you fall asleep or disassociate?” Grampy asked.

“Disassociate?” I asked.

“Like when someone loses touch with reality, and kind of emotionally splits from their body,” he explained. “Like how you lose your glasses and have a hard time seeing, it’s like your mind losing its glasses and letting reality go out of focus.”

“I… don't get it.” My brain was really too fried to process all that.

“Spare the metaphors, honey,” Grammy said.

“Brain fog,” he said simply. Ah, at least I could understand that. “And someone in your state would definitely be prone to it.”

“I might’ve…” I shrugged. “I don’t really know. Never had that kind of experience before.”

“Judging by your reaction, I’d say you did,” Grampy nodded. “You looked like you went from spaced out to fearing for your life.”

I just lightly laughed. I guess I had to add disassociation to the list of reasons I was broken. Just great. Not the kind of resumé I was trying to build.

Grammy and Grampy stayed late that night, and because they were over, Dad wanted to get something easy for dinner. And what was easy? Takeout. And I was not happy about that whatsoever. As soon as Dad walked through that door with burgers and fries for everyone, I threw a massive fit.

“You’re not fucking eating that.”

“I’m not eating that,” I said with an upturned nose.

“Diane…” Dad said, his voice heavy. “Eat it.”

“No!”

Grammy looked ready to get up and shove those fries down my throat while Jack and Bella looked at me worried. Grampy just sat back and took a bite of his burger. He knew the issue would be resolved without his input.

“Young lady,” Dad threatened. “You’re going to eat your dinner, or I’m going to carry you back up those stairs, kicking and screaming, and eat something later whether you like it or not.”

“I’d like to see you try,” I hissed.

So there we were less than a minute later. Everyone was staring at Dad trying to not hurt me as he carried me up the stairs, kicking, screaming, and crying my eyes out. He set me in my bed and turned to walk out of my room.

“You’re just going to leave me here?!” I exclaimed as he was walking out.

“I’m going to leave you here to calm down.”

“Like I’m 12 or something?!”

“If you don’t like being treated like a baby,” he said, flicking my lights off. “Then don’t act like one.”

After that, he closed my door and I was left to sulk like the child he was treating me like. Yeah I was pissed by him and everyone else trying to force trash down my throat, but I was also angry at myself for acting like a baby enough to get called one. I wanted to be a part of them all and laugh and smile with them, but not while eating fast food. No thanks, I don’t want to absolutely ruin my body. I was on my own for about an hour before Grammy came upstairs to see me. By then, I had calmed down a bit to become tolerable.

“Hey,” she said, peeking through my door. “Are you ok now?”

“No,” I said bitterly. “When am I ever ok?”

“Can I come in?” she asked gently.

“Whatever,” I said, rolling my eyes.

Grammy came in and sat at my bedside. She tried to comfort me, but I slapped her hand away. When I looked at her, she held a face of regret, but I couldn’t care. I didn’t want anyone touching me.

“Someone’s still moody,” Grammy joked. “I just wanted to see you again before Grampy and I left.”

I gave her the most sour look I could cast.

“You look exactly like your father when you make that face,” Grammy laughed, her face softening. “Like father, like daughter, I guess. David used to make that face all the time. Especially when he didn’t get his way.”

“Good to know,” I said, crossing my arms.

“I just wanted to wish you good luck with treatment next week,” she sighed. “You’re stronger than you think. You can get through this.”

“The only thing you ever get through these days is your food in record time.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled.

“If you ever need someone to talk to… I’d be happy to listen to anything you have to say.” She got up and gave me a small pat on the back. “And try to not stress your father so hard, dear. He’s going to have more white hair than Grampy at the rate you two are going.”